Applications are now being accepted for a one-year appointment to Salem City Council to fill John Saunders’ seat, after he died Aug. 22.
Council will review, interview and then vote on a replacement to serve until December 2027. Under state law, there must be 81 days before an election to be added to a ballot, so the election cannot be on this November’s ballot.
Salem Legal Counsel Jim Guynn explained the process to fill a Council vacancy, during the Aug. 24 work session before the regular meeting.
Mayor Renee Turk, Vice Mayor AnneMarie Green and Councilmembers Randy Foley and Hunter Holliday decided to advertise the vacancy and deadline for submitting letters and resumes.
The deadline is 5 p.m. on Sept. 8. Letters should be emailed, mailed or handed to the office of Assistant City Manager Rob Light.
The week of Sept. 14 Councilmembers plan to review the applications and interview interested candidates. They plan to make a decision and appointment at the Sept. 28 regular Council meeting.
In case the Council vote is a tie, Guynn said, the matter would have to go to a circuit court judge who would decide. Applicants must be residents of Salem and registered voters.
Mayor Turk said she hopes candidates would be people not interested in running for Council.
Meanwhile, one woman and four men are running for two seats in this November’s election. They are A.J. Harpold, Mark Henrickson, Jeffrey Nickels and Republican candidates J.D. Taylor and Councilmember Hunter Holliday, who is running for re-election. Councilman Randy Foley is not running for re-election, after 20 years.
